2008 Auburn Tigers Season

2008 Auburn Tigers Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 Auburn Tigers

Nov. 28
Alabama 36 … Auburn 0
Glen Coffee ran for a 41 yards score and Mark Ingram ran for scores from one and 14 yards out as Alabama broke its six-game losing streak to Auburn in the easy blowout. Auburn only gained eight first downs and 170 yards of total offense without being close to getting into the end zone. Alabama held on to the ball for 35:37 and came up with 412 yards.
Player of the game: Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran 20 times for 144 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 9-23, 113 yds
Rushing: Mario Fannin, 8-28. Receiving: Mario Fannin, 3-44
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 8-16, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 20-144, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 3-36
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The game could’ve been 29 quarters and it didn’t seem like Auburn could’ve generated any points on Alabama. Mario Fannin gave it a try, but he didn’t have anywhere to go, while Kodi Burns failed to do anything to get the passing game going. The Tigers had to be mistake-free and they had to get up early to beat Alabama, and didn’t do either. After losing six of the final seven games, with the only win coming against UT Martin, this is going to be a long off-season as the program has to figure out what direction it’s going.  

- 2008 Auburn Preview
- 2007 Auburn Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 9-3
2008 Record: 5-7

Aug. 30 UL Monroe W 34-0
Sept. 6 Southern Miss W 27-13
Sept. 13 at Mississippi St W 3-2
Sept. 20 LSU L 26-21
Sept. 27 Tennessee W 14-12
Oct. 4 at Vanderbilt L 14-13
Oct. 11 Arkansas L 25-22
Oct. 18 OPEN DATE 
Oct. 23 at West Virginia L 34-17
Nov. 1 at Ole Miss L 17-7
Nov. 8 UT Martin W 37-20
Nov. 15 Georgia L 17-13
Nov. 22 OPEN DATE 
Nov. 29 at Alabama L 36-0

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 9-3
2007 Record: 9-4

Sept. 1 Kansas State W 23-13
Sept. 8 So Florida L 26-24 OT
Sept. 15 Mississippi St L 19-14
Sept. 22 New Mexico St W 55-20
Sept. 29 at Florida W 20-17
Oct. 6 Vanderbilt W 35-7
Oct. 13 at Arkansas W 9-7
Oct. 20 at LSU L 30-24
Oct. 27 Ole Miss W 17-3
Nov. 3 Tennessee Tech W 35-3
Nov. 10 at Georgia L 45-20
Nov. 24 Alabama W 17-10
Chick-fil-A Bowl
Dec. 31 Clemson W 23-20 OT

Nov. 28
Alabama 36 … Auburn 0
Glen Coffee ran for a 41 yards score and Mark Ingram ran for scores from one and 14 yards out as Alabama broke its six-game losing streak to Auburn in the easy blowout. Auburn only gained eight first downs and 170 yards of total offense without being close to getting into the end zone. Alabama held on to the ball for 35:37 and came up with 412 yards.
Player of the game: Alabama RB Glen Coffee ran 20 times for 144 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 9-23, 113 yds
Rushing: Mario Fannin, 8-28. Receiving: Mario Fannin, 3-44
Alabama - Passing: John Parker Wilson, 8-16, 134 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Glen Coffee, 20-144, 1 TD. Receiving: Julio Jones, 3-36
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The game could’ve been 29 quarters and it didn’t seem like Auburn could’ve generated any points on Alabama. Mario Fannin gave it a try, but he didn’t have anywhere to go, while Kodi Burns failed to do anything to get the passing game going. The Tigers had to be mistake-free and they had to get up early to beat Alabama, and didn’t do either. After losing six of the final seven games, with the only win coming against UT Martin, this is going to be a long off-season as the program has to figure out what direction it’s going.  

Nov. 15
Georgia 17 … Auburn 13
Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno hooked up for a 35-yard touchdown in the second quarter and A.J. Green caught a 17-yard touchdown pas in the fourth as Georgia struggled to get by the Tigers. Auburn got down to the Bulldog 14 in the final moments, but Kodi Burns missed on a fourth down pass. The Tigers started off the scoring with a 52-yard Mario Fannin touchdown play off a pass from Burns. Fannin also ran for a 35-yard touchdown for a lead in the fourth.
Player of the game: Georgia RB Knowshon Moreno ran 22 times for 131 yards and caught four passes for 58 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 16-30, 179 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Mario Fannin, 8-59, 1 TD. Receiving: Montez Billings, 6-66
Georgia - Passing: Matthew Stafford, 15-24. 215 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Knowshon Moreno, 22-131. Receiving: A.J. Green, 5-81
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The much-maligned Auburn offense came up with a decent day against Georgia as Kodi Burns managed to keep things moving with his legs, at times, as well as his arm. 303 yards is nothing to get too excited about, but considering the way to the team has been going over the last few weeks, hanging around with a team like Georgia is a big push forward, even if it might not seem like it. The defense had a good game with Tez Doolittle having a strong day on the line, and Zac Ethridge making plays all over the place, but it wasn’t enough, and now the Tigers have to beat Auburn just to be bowl eligible.

Nov. 8
Auburn 37 … UT Martin 20
Tristan Davis took the opening kickoff for a touchdown, but Auburn would struggle throughout despite a 158-yard rushing day from QB Kodi Burns. With the score tied at 20 late in the third quarter, Burns tore off a 31-yard touchdown run as part of a run of 17 unanswered points. Burns put the game away on a 58-yard dash with just under seven minutes to play. UTM’s Cade Thompson dinked and dunked all day long and hit Mike Hicks for two short touchdowns, but the SkyHawk offense stalled three times in scoring range with Auburn coming up with two key interceptions and a fourth down stop.
Player of the game: Auburn QB Kodi Burns completed 12-of-20 passes for 130 yards and ran 13 times for 158 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: UT Matin - Passing: Cade Thompson, 27-46, 285 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Brandon Young, 7-19. Receiving: Mike Hicks, 12-132, 2 TD
Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 12-20, 130 yds
Rushing: Kodi Burns, 13-158, 2 TD. Receiving: Tommy Trott, 3-39
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Even when Kodi Burns is doing exactly what the offense has been hoping he’d do, running and throwing equally well, Auburn still struggles. There were way too many problems against the UT Martin short passing game as Cade Thompson provided the blueprint for Georgia and Alabama to follow. Just keep dinking and dunking on the Tigers and you can move the ball. Meanwhile, Burns wasn’t a one-man gang on offense, he got help from Mario Fannin and Ben Tate and Brad Lester running the ball, but three turnovers helped keep UTM in the game. This might have been a struggle, but it was a much-needed win that Burns really might be the answer with a little more time.

Nov. 1
Ole Miss 17 … Auburn 7
Ole Miss got two touchdown passes from Jevan Snead with a two-yarder to Shay Hodge in the second quarter and a three-yarder to Derrick Davis in the fourth. Auburn threw the ball well, but kept making mistakes with three key turnovers, all interceptions thrown by Kodi Burns. The lone Tiger score came on a 27-yard Ben Tate run in the third. 10 different receivers caught the ball for Auburn.
Player of the game: Ole Miss RB Cordera Eason ran 14 times for 104 yards
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 27-43, 319 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 5-35, 1 TD. Receiving: Chris Slaughter, 8-131
Ole Miss - Passing: Jevan Snead, 15-30, 140 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Cordera Eason, 14-104. Receiving: Shay Hodge, 6-62, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... There will be plenty of anger and lots of screaming from Auburn fans after yet another loss, but at least the attack is trying a few things. With the running game not working against Ole Miss, why not get the passing game going? Kodi Burns threw the ball 43 times, and while he’s hardly polished, as evidenced by the three interceptions, he did a nice job of spreading the ball around and he showed promise going forward. The defense needs some attention, too, giving up 233 yards on the ground and not coming up with the really big stop needed. Auburn might not go bowling with Georgia and Alabama to play after the layup against UT Martin.

Oct. 23
West Virginia 34 ... Auburn 17
In a tale of two halves, West Virginia outscored Auburn 24-0, and finished with 31 unanswered points, as Dorrell Jalloh scored from two and 32 yards out, and Noel Devine capped off a brilliant night with a 30-yard touchdown dash. Auburn got up early helped by a 16-yard Brad Lester touchdown catch and a nine-yard Kodi Burns run, but the offense sputtered in the second half and the Mountaineers took advantage. The scoring run started late in the first half on a 44-yard Alric Arnett touchdown catch for the first of three Pat White touchdowns.
Player of the game: West Virginia RB Noel Devine ran 17 times for 207 yards and a touchdown, and he caught a pass for 13 yards
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 13-21, 111 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Kodi Burns, 15-90, 1 TD. Receiving: Tommy Trott, 4-34
West Virginia - Passing: Pat White, 13-21, 174 yds, 3 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Noel Devine, 17-207, 1 TD. Receiving: Dorrell Jalloh 4-53, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Uh oh. The Tommy Tuberville era, as great as it has been, is about to get the heat turned up. The offensive woes are one thing, this is going to be a work in progress for the rest of the season, but the big issue is the defense. The offense came up with a decent first half against West Virginia, highlighted by a wonderful 20-play, 81-yard drive that took off 9:54 off the clock, and while it wasn't great in the second half, the defense didn't make plays. This is Auburn, Auburn, and it gave up 271 yards on the ground. If the Tigers don't win at Ole Miss next week, then the pressure will really be on.

Oct. 11
Arkansas 25 … Auburn 22
Michael Smith ran for 176 yards and a 63-yard fourth quarter score and the defense held on as Arkansas came up with the first big win in the Bobby Petrino era. Auburn managed a mere 193 yards of total offense, but the defense came up with three turnovers and Tristan Davis returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown on the way to a 20-10 lead. The Hogs went on a 15-point second half run and the defense didn’t allow any points over the final 27:43. Auburn managed just 56 rushing yards.
Player of the game: Arkansas RB Michael Smith ran 35 times for 176 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Kodi Burns, 7-18, 119 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Kodi Burns, 15-38, 1 TD. Receiving: Tommy Trott, 2-31
Arkansas - Passing: Casey Dick, 17-32, 222 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Michael Smith, 35-176, 1 TD. Receiving: Joe Adams, 4-60
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Did all the hullaballoo around the firing of Tony Franklin screw up the team? For all the offensive woes, 193 yards of total offense, that doesn’t make up for the problems on defense. Arkansas wasn’t explosive, outside of one big touchdown run from Michael Smith, but for a Tiger defense that’s supposed to carry the way to a big season, allowing 416 yards to the anemic Hog attack isn’t acceptable. Of course, the big issue is at quarterback where Chris Todd completed just 3-of-10 passes and Kodi Burns hit on just 7-of-18 throws. Now on a painful two-game losing streak, the team has to sit and spin during a two week layoff before facing West Virginia.

Oct. 4
Vanderbilt 14 … Auburn 13
Auburn got out to a 13-0 first quarter lead on a seven-yard touchdown catch from Rodgeriqus Smith and a 28-yard scoring grab form Mario Fannin, and then it was all Vanderbilt the rest of the way with Mackenzi Adams stepping in for an injured Chris Nickson and throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Justin Wheeler and a one-yard scoring pass to Brandon Barden. And then the defense held on. Auburn only finished with 208 yards of total offense and committed 11 penalties.
Player of the game: Vanderbilt LB Patrick Benoist made 13 tackles, a sack, two tackles for loss and a broken up pass
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd, 8-16, 70 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 27-108. Receiving: Rodgeriqus Smith, 4-18, 1 TD
Vanderbilt - Passing: Mackenzi Adams, 13-23, 153 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Mackenzi Adams, 13-54. Receiving: Justin Wheeler, 5-52, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Auburn’s offense just isn’t working … at all. Yeah, Vanderbilt’s defense is good, and so is Tennessee’s, and so is LSU’s. The SEC has great defenses, and Auburn has to figure out to do something, anything, to string together a few consistent drives. There’s NFL talent in the backfield in running backs Ben Tate and Brad Lester, and Kodi Burns is a strong runner, but there’s nothing happening on the ground. Forget the spread, this offense should be able to run a conventional ground attack and succeed. There’s no receiving talent make the passing game better, and the line isn’t blowing anyone off the ball. The defense can only hold up for so long, and it didn’t against Vandy.

Sept. 27
Auburn 14 ... Tennessee 12
In an ugly game with just 437 yards of combined total offense, Robert Dunn caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Chris Todd in the first quarter and Jake Ricks recovered a fumble for a score in the second for a 14-6 Auburn lead. Tennessee got two Daniel Lincoln field goals in the second quarter, and finally got into the end zone early on the fourth on a two-yard Montario Hardesty run. Choosing to go for two, the pass was completed short of the goal line. The Auburn defense held the rest of the way. Tennessee finished with just nine first downs, Auburn came up with 15.
Player of the game: Auburn LB Josh Bynes made 11 tackles and a quarterback hurry
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd, 14-23, 93 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 19-70. Receiving: Robert Dunn, 6-54, 1 TD
Tennessee - Passing: Jonathan Crompton, 8-23, 67 yds
Rushing: Montario Hardesty, 10-35, 1 TD. Receiving: Gerald Jones & Austin Rogers, 1-14
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The quarterback situation continues to be an issue. It's not like Chris Todd was awful against Tennessee, but he struggled to get the offense moving. The Vol defense wasn't remotely worried about Kodi Burns throwing the ball, so it loaded up every time he tried to run. Burns didn't make the secondary pay while only running for 16 yards. On the plus side, the defense was terrific, as expected, and it's going to need to keep producing until the offense finally figures out something it can do well on a consistent basis.

Sept. 20
LSU 26 ... Auburn 21
In a terrific game, Jarrett Lee came off the bench in place of Andrew Hatch, who suffered a concussion, and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass to Chris Mitchell in the third quarter and an 18-yard touchdown pass to Brandon LaFell with just over a minute to play for the win. Auburn had one final shot, but Chris Todd's 4th and 25 pass came up just short. Auburn took a 14-3 lead, and the momentum, into halftime as Gabe McKenzie picked off a Lee pass for a 24-yard touchdown, but the LSU offense took over in the second half with the Mitchell touchdown catch and a halfback option pass from Keiland Williams to Demetrius Byrd from 22 yards out for a score. But Auburn came back with a 15-yard touchdown catch from Robert Dunn with 6:40 to play. LSU went 54 yards in 2:57 for the game-winning touchdown.
Player of the game: LSU QB Jarrett Lee completed 11-of-22 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd, 17-32, 250 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 19-45, 1 TD. Receiving: Rodgeriqus Smith, 5-73
LSU - Passing: Jarrett Lee, 11-22, 182 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Charles Scott, 21-132. Receiving: Brandon LaFell, 4-92, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... This one's going to hurt. Auburn seemingly had all the momentum going its way two times vs. LSU. First at the end of the first half, and second late in the game after Chris Todd's wonderful touchdown pass to Robert Dunn. The defense was getting pressure on LSU QB Jarrett Lee, but the LSU offense was making plays late. It was a great game by both sides, Auburn played well enough to pull off the win, but LSU played better at the end. There are still plenty of chances for LSU to lose twice, so Auburn has to refocus, beat Tennessee, and hope for the best going forward.

Sept. 13
Auburn 3 … Mississippi State 2
Auburn got a two-run double in the top of the seventh inning to … oh yeah, football. Wes Byrum kicked a 35-yard field goal and the Tiger defense held Mississippi State to 116 yards of total offense in the defensive slugfest. The Bulldogs blew their only offensive scoring chance when Adam Carson missed a field goal, and got their only points midway through the fourth quarter when Auburn’s Ryan Pugh got called for a holding penalty in the end zone. Auburn amassed 315 yards of total offense, but committed 12 penalties and three turnovers.
Player of the game: Auburn P Clinton Durst averaged 43.6 yards per kick on seven punts with three put inside the 20.
Stat Leaders: Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd, 14-26, 154 yds
Rushing: Ben Tate, 20-92. Receiving: Montez Billings, 3-68
Mississippi State - Passing: Wesley Carroll, 10-25, 78 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Christian Ducre, 16-49. Receiving: Co-Eric Riley, 3-26
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Lost in the ugliness of the win over Mississippi State was that Auburn won a tough SEC road game. The offense actually moved the ball a bit, at least completed to MSU, with a good balance. Closing was a problem, but the defense didn’t let the Bulldogs have any real shot of coming up with the big play needed to take control of the game. There’s still work to be done, but things aren’t quite as bad as they might have appeared.

Sept. 6
Auburn 27 ... Southern Miss 13
Auburn cranked out the first 24 points of the game with Ben Tate and Tristan Davis running for second quarter touchdowns and Kodi Burns adding a one-yard scoring run, and then Shawn Nelson went to work. The star USM tight end finished with 12 catches for 118 yards with touchdown catches from one and 17 yards out. The Tigers were able to put the game away with a 23-yard Wes Byrum field goal. Auburn held USM RB Damion Fletcher to just 29 yards.
Player of the game: Auburn CB Jerraud Powers made eight sacks and an interception
Stat Leaders: Southern Miss - Passing: Austin Davis, 33-50, 268 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Damion Fletcher, 13-29. Receiving: Shawn Nelson, 12-118, 2 TD
Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd, 21-31, 248 yds
Rushing: Ben Tate, 15-71, 1 TD. Receiving: Ben Tate, 3-51
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Auburn run defense is something special. It stuffed the strong UL Monroe attack last week, the same one that gave Arkansas so many problems, and stuffed Damion Fletcher and the Southern Miss running game. The Golden Eagles managed just 37 rushing yards averaging 1.4 yards per try. The real story was Chris Todd, who took the starting quarterback job by the horns, especially because Kodi Burns misfired on his three throws with an interception, and he ran twice for -1 yard and a TD.

Aug. 30
Auburn 34 ... UL Monroe 0
Auburn's new offense tore off 321 rushing yards with a three-yard Brad Lester touchdown run and a three-yard scoring catch from Chris Slaughter. The defense and the special teams also helped set the tone with a nine-yard Michael Goggans fumble return for a touchdown to start the scoring, and a 66-yard Robert Dunn punt return for a touchdown giving the Tigers a 14-0 first quarter lead. ULM's offense was held to 220 yards.
Player of the game: Auburn RB Ben Tate ran 13 times for 115 yards
Stat Leaders: UL Monroe - Passing: Kinsmon Lancaster, 20-38, 136 yds
Rushing: Frank Goodin, 15-39. Receiving: Zeek Zacharie, 8-61
Auburn - Passing: Chris Todd, 9-18, 70 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ben Tate, 13-115. Receiving: Rodgeriqus Smith, 5-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The new passing game might take a little while to get going, and Chris Todd looked decent against ULM and will see time on throwing downs, but this win was about the running game. The offensive line was fantastic and the defense was stifling. The combination of the two should carry the Tigers far, but for the offense to really hum, the passing game has to be more dangerous. Teams are going to load up on the run until Todd or Kori Burns proves able to make secondaries pay deep. Southern Miss will provide a better test next week.

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Raven Gray DL 6-5 263 Wesson, MS (Copiah-Lincoln)
JUNIOR COLLEGE: Selected All-State and All-Region his freshman season at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. In 2007, earned NJCAA Pre-Season 1st Team All-America honors … Rated the No. 3 overall JC prospect in the nation by Rivals.com … Signed with Auburn out of high school … No. 2 overall JC prospect nationally by SuperPrep.
HIGH SCHOOL: Totaled 62 tackles, 10 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, five fumble recoveries and 20 quarterback hurries as a senior ... Caught 12 passes for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns ... Selected to the Class 6A All-State Team by the Alabama Sports Writers Association as a senior, and honorable mention as a junior ... Registered 71 tackles and 10.5 sacks his junior season and returned a fumble 40 yards for a touchdown ... As a junior, played in the Alabama High School Athletic Association North-South All-Star Game ... Ranked as the No. 51 overall player in the country and No. 13 in the Southeast (No. 2 DE) by Tom Lemming's Prep Football Report ... Ranked No. 41 nationally at the defensive end position by ESPN.com ... Ranked No. 146 on collegefootballnews.com's CFN Top 150 and No. 16 among defensive ends ... Rated as the No. 22 defensive end nationally by Scout.com ... Rated No. 4 on the Birmingham News Super Senior 2006 ... Ranked 86th on the Mobile Register's Super Southeast 120 list of prospects ... Named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100.

Potential Instant Impact Players

Harry Adams WR 6-0 180 Fort Lauderdale, FL (Dillard)
Had seven catches for 173 yards and two touchdowns as a senior … Scored eight touchdowns as a junior and had three return scores … Ranked No. 50 nationally among wide receivers by Scout.com … The No. 59-ranked prospect from Florida in the SuperPrep Florida 111 … Named to PrepStar’s All-Southeast Region team … At the 2006 Class 4A state track meet, posted times of 10.31 in the 100m and 21.03 in the 200m while winning both events.

Onterio McCalebb ATH 6-0 170 Fort Meade, FL (Fort Meade)
As a senior, recorded 1,995 yards rushing and 27 touchdowns … Also had 11 receptions for 300 yards … Had two kicks returned for scores … As a junior, rushed for 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns … Also had 500 yards receiving and six touchdowns … Named to All-Southeast Region team by PrepStar … Ranked the 34th player in the SuperPrep Florida 111 … Named to Florida Super 75 by Jacksonville Times Union … Named to Orlando Sun Sentinel Top 100 in Florida … Ranked the 38th best running back in the nation by Scout.com.

Rest of the Class
Darvin Adams WR 6-2 178 Kennesaw, GA (Harrison)
Ken Adams TE 6-5 215 Enterprise, AL (Enterprise)
Dashaun Barnes LB 6-2 230 Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln)
T’Sharvan Bell DB 6-1 175 Kissimmee, FL (Osceola)
Drew Cole DB 6-0 180 Picayune, MS (Picayune Memorial)
Dax Dellenbach LS 6-1 210 Coconut Creek, FL (North Broward)
DeRon Furr QB 6-3 217 Columbus, GA (Carver)
Cameron Henderson DL 6-6 215 Irondale, AL (Shades Valley)
D’Antoine Hood DB 5-9 185 Phenix City, AL (Central)
Reggie Hunt RB 5-10 185 Daphne, AL (Daphne)
Marcus Jemison DB 6-2 190 McCalla, AL (McAdory)
Jermaine Johnson OL 6-6 300 Fort Lauderdale, FL (Hargrave Military Academy)
Neiko Lipscomb DB 6-1 170 Tucker, GA (Tucker)
Derrick Lykes DL 6-4 276 Clanton, AL (Chilton County)
Philip Pierre-Louis WR 5-9 165 Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Spencer Pybus LB 6-1 200 Dothan, AL (Northview)
Jomarcus Savage DL 6-3 270 Huntsville, AL (J.O. Johnson)
Eric Smith RB 5-11 225 Seffner, FL (Armwood)
Vance Smith TE 6-2 240 Pace, FL (Pace)
Freddie Smooth DL 6-5 305 Baton Rouge, LA (Desire Street Academy)
Christian Thompson DB 6-1 195 Fort Lauderdale, FL (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Chris Todd QB 6-2 220 Hutchinson, KS (Hutchinson CC)
Barrett Trotter QB 6-1 192 Birmingham, AL (Briarwood Christian)
Andre Wadley DL 6-3 265 Hernando, MS (Hernando)
Derek Winter WR 6-0 190 Tampa, FL (Plant Senior)

2008 Early Lookahead
Why to get excited: This was a young Tiger team last season and it still had a strong year. Now, eight starters are back on offense and six starters return in the defensive back seven. If all the issues (new coordinators, defensive line changes) can be worked out early on, there will be no excuse whatsoever to not be in the national title hunt if it can hold serve at home. Is this one of the nation's best teams? Maybe it's not a top five team in talent, but here's the road schedule (outside of a nasty date with West Virginia): at Mississippi State, at Vanderbilt, at Ole Miss and at Alabama. Merry Christmas. However ...
Why to be grouchy: ... the home schedule is a nightmare hosting LSU, Tennessee, Arkansas, Southern Miss and Georgia (along with UL Monroe, who beat Alabama last year, and UT Martin). Auburn is getting an influx of receiver speed, but the proven talent isn't there with Montez Billings and Robert Dunn merely average starters. The D line is the biggest issue with Pat Sims leaving early for the NFL. Quentin Groves and Josh Thompson are also gone.
The number one thing to work on is: Getting the new offense in place. With Kodi Burns most likely to be the main man under center early on (with JUCO transfer Chris Todd to also get a shot) to be able to implement the Tony Franklin attack right away, there will be a lot more running, a lot more asked out of the quarterback, and a night-and-day different look from the Brandon Cox era. The running backs are there, and the line is in place, for a huge year on the ground.
Biggest offensive loss: QB Brandon Cox
Biggest defensive loss: DE Quentin Groves
Best returning offensive player: RB Ben Tate, Jr.
Best returning defensive player: DE Sen'Derrick Marks, Jr.

2007 Recap
Recap: Back-to-back home losses to South Florida and Mississippi State had the Tigers on the brink of destruction in September, but they did quite well to finish 9-4, including another win over Alabama and a Chick-fil-A victory against Clemson.  Auburn was all about the D, finishing No. 6 nationally in total and scoring defense, but got little help from a conservative offense that had no passing attack and struggled to run behind a green line.  No stranger to close games, the Tigers only lost one time by more than six points, a 45-20 rout at the hands of streaking Georgia on Nov. 10.            

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Ben Tate

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Antonio Coleman

Biggest Surprise: No longer even ranked, reeling Auburn shocked the nation by becoming the first team of the year to beat No. 4 and defending national champion Florida in the Swamp.  The Tiger defense kept the high-flying Gators under wraps long enough for Wes Byrum to boot a game-winning 43-yard field goal as time ran out.    

Biggest Disappointment: Who knows where Auburn would have played a bowl had it held on to beat No. 5 LSU on Oct. 20?  In one of the most excruciating losses for any school in 2007, Matt Flynn found Demetrius Byrd on a 22-yard fade pattern, beating Auburn, 30-24, with just a single tick remaining on the clock.   

Looking Ahead: The big news on the Plains is that offensive coordinator Al Borges has been replaced by Tony Franklin, a supporter of a more wide-open, unpredictable spread offense.  That could be exciting news for QB Kodi Burns, who showed flashes late in the year of being a good fit for what Auburn hopes to do on offense in 2008.